Gates Notes & News

I hope that you all enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday! It is hard to believe that we are officially into December. The holiday season brings excitement and lots of events both in school and with family and friends. In this edition of the Gates Notes & News, you will find lots of information about upcoming events... starting with Santa's Workshop which takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3rd.

Also, thank you to those families that have already participated in our Annual Cool to Care Campaign. As a building, we are just over half way to reaching our goal of $1,000 for Outreach East. This money will be used to help Davison families in need and has illustrated that when a group of caring people all does a little, we can have a great impact.

Finally, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Holiday season! May the coming weeks give you time to connect with family and friends.

Most Sincerely,

Natalie Miller

Proud Gates Principal

Our first two Cool to Care Spirit Days have raised just over $600 putting us half way to our school goal of $1,000. This Wednesday will be our next Cool to Care Spirit Day (Dec. 4th) - "Getting Comfy with Giving" PJ Day and next Wednesday (Dec. 11) -"Giving is Sweet" Dress in Red and White like a Candy Cane. While all students can participate, students are encouraged to donate at least $1.00 to the Cool to Care Campaign.

This Tuesday, December 3rd, our PTO has put together a Santa's Workshop for our students. A flyer and envelope came home last week to help students and families plan for shopping. Keep in mind this is a cash only event and smaller bills are appreciated.

Students are excited that they can personally shop for their family and friends during their assigned class time. There will be approximately 25 crafters present and no item will cost over $10.00.

Please contact PTO President Angie Hawley at 810-691-4020 for more information.

Winter is here and the days are getting chillier so please make sure your child wears a warm coat daily and has a hat and gloves/mittens! It's a great idea to mark all clothing with your child’s name. Students should also be reminded that they should keep track of any items taken off outside during recess. Remember, students will go outside everyday for recess unless it is raining or the temperature is below zero. If your child is in need of a coat, please contact our office. We are here to help!

If you have any extra mittens or gloves laying around, we would appreciate any donations. Our 'stock' of mittens and gloves for students to borrow when they forget them is nearly gone.

Thank you to all that participated in our fall fundraiser! To say it was a success is an understatement. With your help, the total profit for Gates was over $23,000. The PTO is working on plans for putting this money right back into the school and our students. Recently, we announced the top three fundraisers, Gideon DeLoge, Colton Pendergrass, and Jackson Hillard!

Last week, those students who reached the Pizza Party, Ice Cream Party and/or Trip to the Money Machine received their prizes.

Lastly, because we blew our school goal of $20,000 out of the water, we will have our Annual 'Pajama-Jammie-Jam' Dance Party on Wednesday, December 20th for all students to enjoy!

As we head toward the holidays, we have a week of spirit days planned for the days leading up to holiday vacation.

• Monday, December 16th - Christmas Sweater Day! Wear your most festive holiday sweater!
• Tuesday, December 17th - Holiday Headwear! Wear those Santa hats, reindeer antlers, elf hats and join in the fun.
• Wednesday, December 18th - Wear WHITE! It's a "Snow Globe Spectacular"!
• Thursday, December 19th - Dress Your Best for party day! - Super Fancy or Super Christmassy!
• Friday, December 20th - Pajama Day! Put on some PJs or your coziest outfit and get ready for a Pajama-Jammie-Jam Dance Party. Each grade will have a special time to head to the gym for a little holiday dance party.

We wish you a joy filled vacation with family and friends!

Be sure to join us for our next PTO meeting, Tuesday, December 10th at 6:00 pm in the Gates Library.

Get Involved! Many studies indicate increased student success when families join educational staff in creating exciting and memorable experiences together. Remember, all volunteers must have an approved volunteer application on file.

Feel free to contact the Gates PTO at gatespto@gmail.com

All volunteers at Gates must have a confirmed Volunteer Form on file prior to coming into the school to help at an event, this includes upcoming class holiday parties.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM

• Tuesday, December 3rd - Santa's Workshop
• Wednesday, December 4th - Cool to Care -$1 Spirit Day -WEAR PJs
• Tuesday, December 10th - PTO Meeting, 6pm
• Wednesday, December 11th - Cool to Care -$1 Spirit Day -WEAR RED & WHITE
• Friday, December 13th - Popcorn Friday
• Monday, December 16th - Friday, December 20th - Holiday Spirit Week! See details above.
• Thursday, December 19th - Classroom Holiday Parties
• Thursday, December 19th - 2nd Grade Musical
• Monday, December 23rd- January 3rd -Holiday Break, No School
• Wednesday, December 25th - Merry Christmas!
• Wednesday, January 1st - Happy 2025!
• Monday, January 6th - School Resumes
• Friday, January 10th - Popcorn Friday

Please be sure you are signed up for a Remind account. If you already have a Remind App, this will work with your existing account. If you do not have a Remind account, you will want/need to create one. Remind will work through the app or via email for those who do not want to download the app.

Through remind, you can set notifications to alert you to messages being sent from school to keep you up-to-date with all the latest information. Please make sure to check in with your child's teacher of you have questions or issues with the Remind setup .

Where Kids Come First and Futures Begin and Futures are Bright!

Email: nmiller@davisonschools.org
Website: www.davisonschools.org
Location: 2359 S. Irish, Davison, MI, United States
Phone: 810-591-5001